Posts Categorized: Summer Jobs

This morning, students, families, and employers packed into 16 Beacon street to hear from Mayor Thomas Menino and BBA leadership to celebrate the beginning of the 20th annual Summer Jobs Program. This year’s event marked an all-time high for the program with 58 student positions thanks to commitment from 41 firms and law offices. Highlights of the program featured a keynote speech by Tavares Brewington (Prince Lobel) encouraging students to find their vision and an award presented by BBA President J.D. Smeallie (Holland & Knight) to Mayor Menino to honor the Mayor’s longstanding commitment to the program. Here’s a look at today’s event:

Mayor Menino addressed the crowd of students, their families, and employers about the importance of this summer jobs experience.

Tavares Brewington (Prince Lobel) discussed his own path, from South Florida, Western Mass, College of the Holy Cross, playing pro football in Europe, the US Attorney’s Office and Prince Lobel, while encouraging students to find their own vision and achieve it.

Kharlita Chambers-Walker (Charlestown High School) and Julian Smith-Sparks (English High School) will be working at the City of Boston’s Office of Corporate Counsel.

After the event, the students headed off to their first day of work. Please stay tuned for more on the students’ experiences throughout the summer.

This morning, 58 Boston Public High School students traveled to 16 Beacon Street for the annual BBA Summer Jobs Program orientation. To help prepare students for their first day of work on July 8th, the orientation included sessions on workplace professionalism, as well as two financial literacy enrichment modules, on personal finance and budgeting and credit cards.

Here are a few photos from the morning:

2003 Summer Jobs Alum Emmanuelle Renelique (Wilmer Hale) spoke with the students about her own experience as a Summer Jobs intern.

Please stay tuned for more highlights from the program throughout the summer. For more on the Summer Jobs Program, please contact Katie D’Angelo, public service programs coordinator, at [email protected].

As you may have heard, the Boston Bar Foundation has generously sponsored 13 Boston Public High School students to work at government agencies and nonprofit organizations through the BBA’s record setting Summer Jobs Program. These students will have the opportunity to gain experience in a professional setting and participate in enrichment seminars on professional development, financial literacy, and student loans. Students will head off to their first day of work on July 8th following a kickoff event with Mayor Thomas Menino at the BBA.

Through the support of the BBF, 13 Boston Public School students will gain professional experience and exposure to the legal field while working in government agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Through the BBA’s Summer Jobs Program, Boston Public School students gain professional experience and exposure to the legal field while working in firms, legal departments, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

As the public service staff dug through the thick stack of Summer Jobs applications for this year’s program, we stumbled upon a recommendation from a teacher at Urban Science Academy who had participated in the program 12 years ago. Beyond the Billable reached out to Isabel Perez, currently a Humanities and AP Literature teacher at Urban Science Academy, to hear more about her experience. Through our conversation, we learned about the significant impact the program had on her future by giving her the confidence and professional experience to succeed.

Click here to see what Isabel had to say about her Summer Jobs experience.

Unemployment for youth remains high, especially among Latinos and African-Americans. Data provided by the Economic Policy Institute tells that one in seven young adults ages 16-24 are unemployed. You have the opportunity to make a difference – at the same time helping to broaden the pipeline of diverse Boston youth exposed to the legal profession.

Over the past 19 years, the BBA has introduced more than 385 young adults to the legal profession. A recent article on the PIC’s school-to-career programs highlights Escarolyn Garcia’s experience participating in the BBA’s Summer Jobs Program.

To hire a student, or for more information on the program, please contact Katie D’Angelo, Public Service Programs Coordinator at [email protected].

Emily Hodge, Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, as part of Law Day in the Schools taught students about the importance of due process and access to justice at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School. In May 2012, 28 volunteers taught 580 students at 5 different schools about the field of law.

The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), is the BBA’s largest public service program, with a specific commitment to reaching historically underserved populations. The LRS Program connects callers in need of legal assistance with qualified help from private attorneys, legal services agencies, government offices and community programs.

The Mayor’s Youth Council, a partnership between the BBA, the Mayor’s Office and Northeastern University, gives young people the opportunity to reach out to other Boston teens. The BBA provides the Mayor’s Youth Council lawyer-mentors. Lisa Goodheart, Past President of the BBA with Mayor Thomas M. Menino at the 2012 Mayor’s Youth Council Reception at Northeastern University.

Larry DiCara, a partner at Nixon Peabody and former President of the Boston City Council conducted a mock City Council hearing with the 2012 Summer Jobs students. L-R: Tatenda Mundeke, Aubrey Griffin, Raymond Cen, Ashley Dixon, and Samantha Argon.

BBA President James D. Smeallie talked with 8th and 9th graders at Quincy Upper School during the Principal for A Day program on Tuesday, November 13th. The program allowed public and private sector leaders to better understand improvements and remaining challenges in the Boston public school system.

Steve Stein, Executive Director of Boston Debate League trained BBA volunteers to be judges at debate tournaments. The BBA entered into a partnership with Boston Debate League earlier this year.

In this season of reflection and gratitude, many people look for ways to give back. Here are a few upcoming opportunities to get more involved in the community:

(1) Participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and help low and moderate-income taxpayers fill out tax returns and offer consultations on special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly. You can learn more about how to get involved at the upcoming VITA information session.

(2) Teach high school students across Massachusetts about making informed and effective decisions regarding their finances through educational and experiential opportunities in the M. Ellen Carpenter Financial Literacy program. You can teach students about credit cards, checking accounts, budgeting, and more.

(3) Hire a local high school student for an 8-week internship at your law firm through our Summer Jobs program. Help students learn about the field of law and gain career experience.

Visit the Public Services Programs page to learn about additional opportunities in the community. For more information on the programs, please contact Katie D’Angelo, Public Service Programs Coordinator at 617-778-1914 or [email protected].